Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-02-05

Ike the d1vcrEing
rays Of another sun-the Capitol-a thing
to DO feared by the naked eye. Later
yet It grow hotter, and then a mist arose
from the Potomac and blotted out the
blazing arch above, and presently piled
up along tho horizon dclusivc thunder clouds,
that spent their strength and substance else
where, and left it hotter than before. To.
ward evening the sun amt out inviSorated,
having cleared the heavenly brow Of perspira.
ton, but leaving its fever undated.
Tho city was deserted. Tho few who re.
manned apparently buried themselves from
the garish light Of day in some dim, clustered
recess Of shop, hotel or restaurant, and the
perspiring stranger, dazed by the outer glare,
who broke in upon their quiet, sequestered re-
pose, confronted collarless and coatless spec
tors of tho post, with fans in their hands, who,
after dreamily going through some perfunct-
ory business, Immediately retired to sleep after
the stranger had gone. Congressman and
senators had long since returned to their sew.
cral constituencies, with the various informa.
ton that tho country was going to ruin, OF
That the outlook never was more hopeful ond
cheering, as the tastes Of their constituency
indicated. A fow cabinet officers still fingered,
having by this time become convinced that
they could do nothing their own way, or indeed
in any wny but tho old way, and getting gloom.
lily resigned to their situation. A body of
learned, cultivated men, representing the
highest legal tribunal in the land, still
fingered in a vague idea Of earning tho scant
salary bestowed upon them by the economical
founders Of the government, and listened
patiently to tue arguments Of counsel, whose
fees for advocacy of claims before them
would have paid the life income of half the
bench. There was NJ. Attorney General
and his assistants still protecting the govern
ment's millions from rapacious hands, and
drawing the yearly public pittance that their
wealthicr private antagonists would have
scarce given as a retainer to theft junior
counsel. The little standing army Of do
partn'ental einployes-the helpless victims of
the most senseless and idiotic form Of disci.
pline the world has known-a discipline SO
made up Of caprice, ,expediency, cowardice
and tyranny that its reform meant revolu.
tion, not to be tolerated by legislators and
lawgivers, or a deslotism in which half a
dozen acknowledgement men interpreted
their prejudices Of preference as being that
reform. Administration after a~dninistra-
ton and party after party had persisted IN
their desperate attempts to fit tho youthful
colonial garments, made by our fathers after
a hy.gone fashion, over the expanded limits
mil ronopsN,so nastlsno - a -><,~.l ->As~.
There were patches here and there; there
were Grievous rents and holes here and there;
there were ludicrous and painful exposures Of
growing limbs everywhere; aud the party In
power and the party out Of power could do
nothing but mend and patch, and icvamp
and cleanse and scour, and occasionally, in
the wildness of despair, suggest evon tho cut
ting oil the rcbellious limbs that persisted In
growing beyond the swaddling clothes Of its
infancy. 10Y" r
It was q capital Of contradictions and in
consistonc;cs. ~ ono end Of tho avenue sat
tho irresponsible high keeper Of tho military
honor, valor and warlike prestige Of a great
nation, without the power to pay his own
troops their legal dues until some selfish
quarrel betwecn party and party was settled.
Hard by sat another secretary, whose estab.
lished functions seemed to be the misrepre-
sentation Of tho nation abroad by the least
characteristic Of its classes, the POLITICIANS
and only then when they bad been defeated
as politicians, and when their constituents had
declared them no longer worthy to DO even
their representatives Tho national absurdity
was only equaled by another, wherein an ex-
politician was for four years expected to up
hold the honor Of . Gag Of a great nation
over an ocean he had never tempted, with q
discipline tho rudiments OF which he could
scarcely acquire before he was removed, or
his term Of office expired. receiving his orders
from . superior officer as ignorant Of his
special duties q himself, and subjected to the
revision of a congress cognizant Of him only
a. q politician. At the further end of the
avenue was another department. 50 vast in it,
extent and so varied in It's functions that few
OF the really great practical workers Of tho
land would have accepted its responsibility
tor ten times Its salary. tmt which the tnost
perfect constitution In the world imndsd over
to men who were Obliged to make it n sfeu.